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Becoming a Specialist? A hard decision to make ...
Specialising requires hard strategic decisions to be made about your business.
When good people move on
Losing a member of staff to another company is not necessarily a bad thing
The quest for quality in Agile Software Development
Why quality assurance remains a central part of project management, regardless of the use of Agile methods
Balancing needs: why smart Operations Directors reduce costs for the long term
Short-term cost cutting can do a lot more harm than good. Effective cost reduction requires a more thoughtful approach
Can compliance contribute to a competitive advantage?
Regulatory and de facto standards could give a company an edge in a crowded, competitive market.
The true operating cost of accepting failure
The financial impact of spotting quality problems after the event can be enormous. The question is do we understand how much that cost can be?
The art of retaining customers
When customers decide to move on you need to do more than wave them goodbye. This article explores some of the options and decisions to be made
Who to follow on Twitter - June 11 2010
A collection of people with interesting things to say on the micro-blogging site
Self-promotion can only come from self-confidence
Whitney Johnson misses the point by a mile in an article that promised insight and offered nothing
Practice safe Facebook #1 - The friends request
Just because they call it social media you do not have to accept every friends request that comes your way
Follow Friday for 4th June 2010
The passing of Dennis Hopper, women in the boardroom and art feature in this round of people to follow on Twitter
Agile Project Management Template
Keep your product backlog, sprint backlog and burn down charts in one place with this useful tool
Creating a to do list on an iPod Touch or iPhone
For some reason the tasks do not sync from iCal to the iPod. This could be a workaround for us iPhone and iPod Touch users
When I started moderating Flickr...
There comes a point when an element of censorship enters the free flow of ideas
When role models become peers
A personal thought on making the world a better place
So what is your twitter following worth?
A black market in tweets and retweets is emerging. Is this a good thing?
Cut off from the world: why mobile internet is not all it is supposed to be
A fortnight without full broadband has taught me a valuable lesson
When sacking the star makes good business sense
Having an over performing sales person can sometimes do a lot more harm than good to the team as a whole
My battle with Microsoft Excel
Converting my stylish reports from Apple Numbers is proving quite hard work
Regaining control: how to bring performance back up to scratch
Decisive action is essential when a new manager steps into an underperforming team
The week a volcano brought Europe to a halt (and what we can learn from it)
There are lessons about human nature we must learnt when preparing our business continuity plans
The approval step: non-value work or a way to engage management?
Management must be actively engaged in processes if effective control of a business is to be maintained.
Agile development methods - good practice or poor management?
How software developers can substitute effective project management with laziness - and you will not notice until it is too late
The role of Facebook in protecting the child
Parents have a part to play in protecting their children on line. Ignorance and disinterest are not an excuse
Understanding the source of our profits
Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell discovered Pulsars - and she can teach us a lot about our attitudes to business
From corporate governance to rehashing usenet - follow friday for 9th April 2010
A round up of some of the conversations I have been having on Twitter
The legend of beer and nappies - or how data mining can appear amazing
Business intelligence may hint at winning ideas, but relying on data alone will make a monkey out of you
So you think a sale will boost your business
Sales may increase your income, but at what cost to your profits?
Managing your payments to maximise profits
The timing of collecting money your customers owe you can boost your profits
Project Management - sharing progress using a spreadsheet
Microsoft Project is overly complex and not widely used. So try Excel if you want to share progress on your projects
Can we go straight to security questions?
Think carefully about the questions you ask customers when you start the conversation
Petrol prices in the UK: profiteering, overtaxing or just the way it is?
Some personal thoughts on why lowering the price for consumers will not be as easy as some claim
The fight for the playlist...
A portait of Dynamic Jen and SammyJay, two of the DJs from Westside FM.
Blogging for pleasure - or is it for business?
Where does the line exist between our personal thoughts and writings, and disclosing sensitive information about our employer?
Presenting your marketing in the best possible light
Overzealous interpretation of stats can easily undermine your message
And how long will this project take?
Dead time can be a nightmare for the project manager
The social media gurus who do not understand business
Another post on the Mark Schaefer blog stimulates some interesting conversation
A portrait of Marion Achayo
My photography makes a return to the web
Get yer Facebook Marketing Here. Tuppence a go...
Does the cookie-cutter approach to social media marketing have a place?
Looking for that next job
A few practical tips and hints from my experience to help you get your career moving again
Google Maps as a location CV
Another alternative to traditional CV pops up
Is poor vehicle maintenance increasing?
The emphasis on speeding and mobile phone use may be masking something more serious
The tale of two suits
How a small business lost out on my custom - and why Moss Bros got it
Please can we start writing proper blog posts?
The top tips list has become a scourge on the face of the blogsphere
Coupon activity in January 2010
Consumers are continuing to save money with on and off line discounts
A worrying development in Italy
Google executives are convicted after an autistic teen was bullied and the video posted on YouTube
Intrusive advertising makes an unwelcome return
Why the worst form of advertising has beaten the browser block and returned to annoy us all
Profiling customers by looking at their browser history
We might be able to build lists of where our customers have been - but should we?
If we accepted ten percent failure what would it mean?
An infographic used to support quality improvements by one business
Twitter honour list [19th February 2010]
Lean startups, social media models and business 2 business social networks on Twitter this week
How do we win customers back?
Customers will decide to leave. The question is how can we win them back?
Improving operational reports with infographic style
The effectiveness of reporting can be much greater with a little creative flair
Underpinning strategy with social media models
Three simple models to help structure your thinking and strategy
Facebook is the #1 source for traffic
The social media giant is now dominating the landscape, but is the quality of its traffic any better?
From willing forum contributor to unwitting newsletter author
Another example of how to abuse long-term relationships in favour of short-term PR gain
Twitter honour list [12th February 2010]
An occasional shout out to the people who have made Twitter a little more interesting this week
Improving your productivity on the iPod Touch or iPhone
Some of the free apps that I use to make my life a little easier
Ever wondered what a Googol looked like?
A simple and rather playful graphic. Feel free to use it.
Harnessing our unseen talent the Facebook way
We can use social networks within the confines of our corporate space. They are called Communities of Practice - and they have been around for some time.
Making your training more engaging
Using Powerpoint and a script is not the best way of educating your staff
RIM is losing market share to Apple and Google
The dominance of Blackberry in the US smartphone market is being eroded. Signs of a shift on the way?
Comparing mobile phones - a BillShrink infographic
An infographic that compares the latest models from Apple, Google, Motorola and Palm
Advised sales - are they better for financial services?
Insurance and Financial Services firms are backng away from giving customers advice. This could be the wrong move.
The Top 10 Mobile Websites in the UK
A small infographic showing where british mobile phone users are pointing their browsers
Ikea builds a buzz with Facebook
promote,interactive catalogue,marketing,marketing specialists,store manager,showroom
Have we forgotten what Facebook is for?
Sometimes we can lose sight of what a social network is all about
When technique gives way to innovation
Gary Numan offers an important lesson for business from the world of electronic music
Sophos: where are the biggest security threats from social media?
Facebook tops the charts, which is not a surprise.
Employees have access to social networks, so how do you manage your risks?
Banning social networks is not a solution. A clear social networking policy - communicated, monitored, enforced - may be
Deleting eMails is NOT best practice
If you start deleting messages how are you going to defend yourself in court?
Are your emails getting through?
A fifth of marketing messages are wasted and delivered to junk mail folders or people who do not exist
McKinsey on increasing profits against a background of inflation
Profits need to grow faster than prices rise
Linkedin or Facebook? Depends on who you're after
Which social networking site you choose will depend on whether you are networking for business or pleasure
My life and the iPod Touch - it goes beyond keeping a diary
How my iPod evolved from calendar and to-do list to something more powerful. And what that means for the future of the iPad
What did we learn in January 2010?
Katy Perry is more popular than the iPad, the FSA has levied 2.5 million in fines and Labour wins the Google election
The ethical dimension: protecting confidentiality in the facebook age
Professionals are flocking to social media. But can promotion harm the relationship between advisers and clients?
15 ways to bigger profits
A free ebooklet to help you reduce your costs, lower your expenses and increase your profits
iPad vs the US President
Barak Obama vs Steve Jobs. State of the Union versus iPad. Who wins the Twitter battle?
Nicholas Fenton puts his life on show
The inforgraphic designer puts his life on show in his 2009 report
Where are the british online?
An infographic so you can see who has the attention of UK web users
What makes an informative and well designed infographic?
The infographic is a visually stunning way of presenting information
27 Twitter Lessons for a CEO
Mark Palmer, CEO of Streambase, offers his lessons on using Twitter as an executive
The most effective place to advertise is where you have their attention
Forget web marketing hype - customers still rely on the printed work to stimulate action
Top ten secrets for small business success - an alternative view
Mike Clough suggests increasing customer numbers. This could mean sacrificing both profits and revenues
Five trends affecting business today
Consumers demand more and our cash cows are redundant. What does the future hold for a business and its customers?
The impact of mobile commerce on the savvy customer
Mobile commerce is growing as smartphones spread. You need to help the savvy shopper who is willing to use it to get the best deal.
Bumping your message to the top
If you reply to your own discussion thread you can keep hitting top spot
The principles of user interface design (for managers)
A guide for non-technies on building tools that people can use
Reaching out to customers who don't want to be sold to
Outbound customer service is a way of engaging with those whose relationship with us may have faded
Speak slowly and clearly after the tone
Leaving a clear voice mail message will improve the chances of someone calling you back
Remarketing to customers who abandon their shopping baskets
Sending an eMail to prospects who abandon their shopping baskets can bring a good return on investment
The Facebook "at work" profile
A *business only* profile so you can stay up to date with what I am writing here
Words from a Business Grand Master
A shameless plug for business blog (but worth reading)
Remembering the address - can we make better use of shortened URLs?
Using shortened URLs and web addresses requires some thought and planning on our part
Cash coming in - reflections on a dot.com product
Getting a product to market can be valuable learning - and has cash coming in
The fall of MySpace - or is it?
Advertising revenue may be falling at Myspace, but it might not all be bad news
The Thomas Cook tagline
Trying to create a verb from your brand is hard work.
Advertising on Facebook will not work
Why poor technology and a lack of attention will doom CPC advertising
The - you must have a website - fallacy
Is the return on investment from the web always guaranteed? Sometimes not
Skype offers HD video calls
A new way to engage with our customers offers potential to improve our service
The mobile internet is here - are you ready?
As more of us use a mobile phone to get online we need to rethinking or contact and eMail strategy
Improve your reporting - a presentation
Better presentation will increase the effectiveness of your management information
Engaging with Twitter as a sales tool
Micro blogging can be a powerful tool to actively sell your products - if you are careful
Using AHT as a measure of performance
Average handling time is a useful metric, but only if it is used in the right way
Excel has killed the art of reporting
Technology has made us lazy when it comes to producing information
An alternative to the CV
Our CVs tend to be full of words and lists, but greater impact could come from using graphics
Aligning with customer demands
As customers perform more self-service over the web, contact centres must rethink how they respond
Connecting to the talent pool
Why the next generation of your talent could be recruited from FaceBook
Buyer beware in the insurance industry
Utmost good faith was how the industry worked, but call centres drove the culture the wrong way
Designing for brainpower limitations
Jakob Nielson argues we need to design our websites to cater for the limitations of the human brain
The windfall tax - the end of The City?
Why the arguments over bonuses could harm the recovery in London
Would losing the RBS board be a bad thing?
If the top team resign en masse surely it will create a run like no other
Destroying good will in a moment
All the support and understanding your staff give you can vanish if you are careless with their trust
Learn to love Facebook
Social networks are being used by the people who matter. Business needs to learn to use it too
The parable of the lazy sales team
How sales focussed on too much account management and not enough new business
CPD Log - a Bento Template
Keep track of your personal development
The church of Myers-Briggs (and why it can do more harm than good)
Psychometric profiling can result in damaging blind faith
When offers expire
How a BT broadband promotion exposed a lack of attention to detail
25 ways to sell more
Ways to sell more and stay in business - free
I have complete confidence in you
How to build confidence in a team working on a challenging project
Defeating the curse of the meeting
Avoid being caught for an hour in another pointless meeting
Is there a process owner out there?
If there is no one to take responsibility things will not happen
Continuous professional development
A template to help every manager develop their knowledge and career
The irrational fear of disturbing customers
Your business should be talking to the customer on a regular basis to keep them interested
The obligatory G20 comment...
A personal thought on the passing of the G20 protests
Recovering lost time
Every manager is pressed for time. These are my tips for recovering lost time
Being an effective part of the solution
Being an effective solution to the problem means rethinking the way we do things
The Process Cost Model
A spreadsheet to help model operational costs and model process cost
You must be passionate about your product...
If you have a genuine passion for your product you will increase your sales.
What separates the best account managers from the worst?
How the best account managers build customer relationships and revenues
Previously on this blog...
Becoming a Specialist? A hard decision to make ...
Specialising requires hard strategic decisions to be made about your business.
When good people move on
Losing a member of staff to another company is not necessarily a bad thing
The quest for quality in Agile Software Development
Why quality assurance remains a central part of project management, regardless of the use of Agile methods
Balancing needs: why smart Operations Directors reduce costs for the long term
Short-term cost cutting can do a lot more harm than good. Effective cost reduction requires a more thoughtful approach
Can compliance contribute to a competitive advantage?
Regulatory and de facto standards could give a company an edge in a crowded, competitive market.
The true operating cost of accepting failure
The financial impact of spotting quality problems after the event can be enormous. The question is do we understand how much that cost can be?
The art of retaining customers
When customers decide to move on you need to do more than wave them goodbye. This article explores some of the options and decisions to be made
© 2010 Ross Hall. All Rights Reserved.
If you wish to use any of the content from this site please contact me.
All contents provided for information purposes only.
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About Ross Hall